General Motors Registers Record Sales in First Nine Months

According to financial figures released after the board of directors meeting on Tuesday, the record sales put United Arab Emirates (UAE) position as GM’s second largest market in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia, with total sales of 17,789 units.

Much of GM’s recent growth has been attributed to three key factors: increasing demand for the company’s full size SUVs, a huge rise in sales for GMC and the growing popularity of the GM brands in the Lower Gulf and the region’s smaller markets.

The report also reveals that Chevrolet, GM’s foundation brand, has also performed strongly in 2008, which is also the year the company celebrates its century anniversary, with sales up 3 per cent to 71,035 units, around two-thirds of all GM sales in the region.

In 2007, GM sold 135,894 vehicles of several brands in the Middle East. Its best-performing brand being the GMC with sales up by 67 per cent to just over 4,000 units.

The report further states that GM acknowledges the commitment and effort their esteemed dealers have demonstrated mainly through a series of unique customer focused programmes.

GM recently announced its vision for the future, by unveiling the production version of the Chevrolet Volt, during its 100^th birthday on September 16. This extended range electric vehicle is set to rewrite automotive history and revolutionize the way the company moves.

GM’s best-selling models across the Middle East continue to be its full-size SUVs, the Yukon and Yukon XL, with sales up a remarkable 37 per cent to 22,535. In only its second year on sale in the Middle East, the GMC Acadia has sold 4,725 units, firmly establishing this luxury Crossover SUV among GM’s top ten best-sellers, while the arrival earlier this year of the all-new compact SUV, the GMC Terrain, has stretched the appeal of the brand to a new breed of customers.

According to the report, GM looks forward to yet another exciting times, with models such as the Chevrolet Traverse and Cadillac CTS-V, Hummer H3T and Sierra Denali just around the corner and equally highly anticipated models that are set to arrive next year.

During a recent Press conference held in Beirut, Lebanon to announce GMs quarterly business results in the Middle East, Terry Johnsson, President of General Motors-Middle East Operations said “It is extremely rewarding to see that the General Motors line-up is attracting customers across the region and in the UAE in ever-increasing numbers, as demonstrated by these latest results.